“What ingredient substitutes can I use to make champorado and sinigang in UAE?”
Janeth writes: "I’m a Pinoy who works in UAE, and I can't find substitute ingredients for the Filipino dishes I love to cook. What substitute ingredients can I use to make sinigang, bulalo, and champorado? Those are my favorite dishes but I can’t find the right ingredients for them here."
Chef Pierre Tan says: For sinigang, you’ll need tamarind mix. If you can't get your hands on it for seafood sinigang, you can use the juice of any citrus fruit. If you can get tamarind, soak it in hot water and use the water as stock for your broth. The vegetables for the sinigang should be readily available where you are, except maybe for kangkong. Perhaps you can use spinach in its place.
For the beef for your bulalo, soak it in milk for 30 minutes (then discard the milk) to reduce the gamey smell. Instead of cabbage, you can use any kind of lettuce. You should not have a problem finding carrots and potatoes. You can use celery and leeks if you don't like ginger. Canned corn or young corn can be used to substitute for fresh corn.
As for champorado, use cocoa powder instead of tablea. And add sugar and cream instead of evaporated milk.
